Bonds
by Blackmoondragon1415
Summary: We all have our own forms of bondage, whether it be slavery, loneliness, or plain fact. The question is what we do with them. R&R please. Story behind 'Catching Up'. Rating may be changed in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Another Name, Another Face

A/N: Hey, everybody! For the people that reviewed for Catching Up, here is that long awaited explanation to everything that goes on in that oneshot. Please enjoy, and be sure to review. Right now, I pretty much live off those things.

Just one thing I want to say is that the updates might be slow, considering I'm kinda busy right now. [Summer, busy, never thought I'd use those two words together..._]

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Bonds:

Chapter 1: Another Name, Another Face

If there was anything that didn't suit Genie about his over-10,000-year imprisonment, it was the long, long periods of time that he spent hidden away in his lamp, secluded from the rest of the world. If someone spent even a fraction of that time in an 'itty-bitty living space' of their own, they'd get why he was so sporadic.

Other immortals were even fewer and farther between, which said something considering their longevity. The Magic Carpet had been with a previous master, and when the three wishes didn't go quite so well, he had taken to following his lamp around over the years. It didn't take Genie long to notice that Carpet was young in immortal terms. Still, it wasn't like he got out to see fellow immortals often, even if they were one-sided conversationalists. His last stint had been with a caravan driver that went relatively okay as masters go [Meaning: He hadn't asked for world domination. A definite plus.], and last he checked, he had been sold off to another merchant. After that, he had stopped paying attention. It wasn't like things changed, really. He'd end up in someone's hands, and, chances were, they'd eventually rub his lamp and bring him out. And, for better or worse, he'd grant a few wishes and then go back for however-long until the next mortal came knocking on his door. Carpet may be there, he might not, even though his tête-à-tête abilities needed work either way.

Still, even with the fact that he'd have to go on being someone's servant as soon as he got the rub, he was still very eager to just _get out_. Though, in retrospect, he might have used a bit too much force, considering that the straggly teenage boy that was to be his new master looked like someone just threw a firecracker in his face.

"Hello, new master!"

"M-Master?"

"Ohh, quick on the uptake! I like it!" Genie quipped, grinning good-naturedly at the still shell-shocked child. After a moment of gaping, he finally seemed to find his voice.

"W-What are you?"

"Hmm…Maybe not so quick on the uptake…" The blue djinn muttered, more to himself. "I am the phenomenally cosmic Genie of the Lamp, right here for your personal wish fulfillment."

"Personal wish fulfillment? You are a genie?"

"Is there an echo in here? Yep! That's me!"

"You can grant any wish?" The boy asked, an almost wild hope lighting up his eyes. Genie somehow got the feeling that this was where everything would go downhill; many were not happy when he brought up the limits he had when it came to what he could do.

"Almost. There's just a few things that even I can't do. Such as the wishing for more wishes gambit. None of that."

"Are there other things that you are unable to do?"

"Well, I can't kill anyone, so please **do not** ask," Genie replied, poofing up a tombstone and flowers to emphasize his point. "I also can't bring people back from the dead, so none of-"

And with that, Genie briefly transformed the scene around them to resemble the classic Frankenstein scene when the monster comes alive, with his new master as the scientist and Genie as the monster.

"I _**LIIIIIIIVE!"**_ He cried, sitting up from a sheet-swathed table while his master looked bemusedly on. Making the whole thing vanish in less than a second, Genie floated close to the boy's shoulder, chuckling a bit at his own joke.

"I've always wanted to do that. So, aside from that, the only other thing I can't do is make people fall in love."

The simple statement caused quite a ripple in the atmosphere of the scene, the boy's gaze turned to the ground, but Genie didn't have to look too hard to notice that he had been glaring as though someone had just denied him something important.

"But, other than that, you name it, I can do it!" He continued, hoping to pull this out of what seemed to be dangerous waters. It seemed to work, sort of. At least he wasn't giving off that kind of venom anymore. Instead, his expression turned mostly thoughtful.

Suddenly, the sound of voices was heard, snapping both up to attention.

"Marid! Marid!"

"Where is that boy? The fields will not hoe themselves!"

"A fine time to take a break; this drought has left us all with barely any crops!"

The boy's face flipped from brooding to panic as the speakers began to grow closer to his position; he turned to Genie just in time to see him pull back into the lamp.

"Just bring me with you. We'll talk later!"

Understanding in an instant, Marid hurriedly stowed the lamp under his shirt, just in time to hide it from the trio of men that came into view.

"I'm sorry, father, I lost track of time!" He hurriedly spoke, all but prostrating himself in front of the burly man in the middle of the cluster. His sire's eyes gazed, hard and unforgiving, fell on him for a few moments before he sighed, looking only disappointed.

"Son, we can't keep having this. You know how pressed we are for a good harvest."

"I know, father, I'm sorry."

* * *

When they arrived back at their shambling hut, the boy immediately went for the fields behind. Ringing the mostly bare expanse was a dirt road that went into the heart of the village. It was quiet, still, and empty. He always liked working through the fields late in the day; it always was such a wonderful time to just think.

"So, wonderful hobby you got here."

Marid jumped a mile, looking around, and seeing only the field, and the small, bluish stalk that was the only healthy looking thing on the field. Which struck him as highly odd, considering there was no plant he knew of that was that color. The reason soon came in a small puff of bluish smoke that became the slightly transparent form of Genie. Immediately, the young lad began to panic.

"Careful, if my father sees you-!"

"Don't worry! I can do covert as easily as I can grant a wish."

A wind suddenly blew between the two, kicking up a huge cloud of dusty sand from the loose soil. Marid immediately pulled up a hand to keep it out of his mouth and eyes. Genie was not so prepared, and received a face-full.

After coughing out much of the offending grit, the blue jinni looked to the boy.

"Is it always like this around here?"

"No, just since the drought came, three months ago."

The blue face turned for a moment, taking in the land around him. The last time he had been out, it had been in a busy city. He had traveled a lot in what felt like such a short span of time. Too bad he rarely got to see any of the distance he'd spanned. Still, the lands around him were rough, untamed, and clearly not much use to these agricultural people. They would die if they kept trying to till it, and coming up with nothing. Suddenly, an idea entered his mind. Certainly, none of his other masters had wanted a jinni's advice, but perhaps, since this actually might be something useful…

"You know I **can** make it rain, right?"

The boy turned away from his work in an instant, his expression incredulous.

"Y-You can?"

"Just say the word, and you have it!"

* * *

The man of the house paced around the table, growing more antsy by the minute. The boy should have finished getting the dead crops out of the soil, so why was he taking so long, and when they already had so many worries!

Almost as if on cue, a moan came from a figure that lay on a blanket in the corner of the one-room hut. The concerns abandoned for the moment, his qualms turned to the woman that lay pale and sweating on the grass mat.

"My…My dear…" She spoke, faintly, but still clear to his ears. He knelt, cupping her clammy hand in his.

"I am here, my love, I am here."

"W-Where is Marid?"

Ah, trust her to leap to that. Before she had fallen ill, she had been fiercely protective of her son.

"He is out in the field, getting rid of the dead parts of our crops."

She still did not relax, her fever radiating heat like a furnace.

"What a-about-?"

"Shh, he has not seen her at all today, and I have not seen her come into the village."

"Th-The girl…He does not see…Good child, but so blind…"

"I know, I know. Let us only hope he will not have the audacity to try to seek her out. She was rather forceful last time, from what I heard."

Her sweat-soaked brow furrowed slightly at these words, but she appeared to relax into a doze. Her husband rose from her side, once he was sure of her calm. He stood there for a moment, just keeping watch, when suddenly a very strange noise fell on his ears. It almost sounded like-.

As the realization came, the blanket of their hut was thrown back to reveal a very excited Marid.

"Father, Father! You must see this! It's raining!"

* * *

The village was afire with the sudden spurt of rain. Many knelt, thanking any higher power that had finally decided to take mercy on their plight, some, particularly younger children, danced through the puddles with a fervor. Only one stood apart from it all, Marid, from his point at the top of the hill, where he had found Genie's lamp.

Speaking of which, he saw a curl of blue smoke from the edge of his vision, turning to grin at the very pleased jinni.

"Thank you."

"I'd love to take credit, kid, but you're the one that made the wish. If anyone should get that thanks it's you." Genie rebuffed poofing up a trophy into the boy's hands. Marid carefully placed it down, at which point it vanished. Looking over the boy's shoulder, Genie noticed the flair of caravan wagons approaching the small village bellow.

"Hmm, looks like the circus came to town!" His transformation into a clown on a unicycle got a partially bemused, partially amused stare as Marid's gaze turned to the convoy.

"It must be the traders. They do come this time of year. Not that anyone has much to trade." The last part was added in a huffed undertone, but Genie still heard.

"Well, there's no harm in going to look, is there? Go on, I'll be around." He said cheerily, lightly nudging the boy in the direction of the town. Marid did not need much persuading, although there was a distinct drag to his step as he walked down the hill. Changing himself into a simple insect, Genie followed behind a few moments later.

Marid gazed around with partially-concealed wonder at all the traders were offering to the hapless people that passed through their stands. He always had loved this time of the year, especially the story telling that came towards nightfall, when some of the older patrons and traders would gather together and exchange stories. Many listened to this, above all the younger children, who were easily awed by the tales. Even though Marid was not longer such a youth, he still could not help but feel wonder at the faraway places, and people, that the words conjured. The flashy wares were roved over by his amateur eye; all were in some way wondrous to the farm boy. He then turned toward the small crick that ran around the hill he had just come from, and felt his train of thought abruptly derail.

* * *

Genie, meanwhile, had taken much longer to get down the rise, though he did cheat a bit on the last few yards. Still, teleportation got him right smack in the middle of a man that was selling a load of extravagant fineries, and he was not very amused by the insect that suddenly came into his midst.

"Impertinent pest!" He swore as he swatted at Genie, who vaulted off the stand's table to avoid the blow.

"Hey! Bugs have the right of way too!"

Of course his protests fell on deaf ears, the man turned immediately back to his wares. Almost automatically, Genie's eyes slid over the objects, silently identifying them in his mind.

Valuable necklace that no one here will probably buy, gold ring that looks like it was dug out of a Sultan's treasury, very familiar-looking carpet, expensive looking chalice…

…Genie's insect neck almost snapped with the force when the exact words of his thought hit home. It could have just been his imagination, but it seemed almost as though the edge of the rug fringe twitched a bit in a greeting. Then again, from the way the thing was so tightly wound up into a roll, it could have just been the wind. Still, there was the fact that the rug sitting there looked just like…

"Carpet?" He all but squeaked. Using the fact that insects could stick to just about anything to his advantage, Genie easily scaled the shelve and made it up to the rug.

"Hey, Rugman! It's me, Genie! You still in there?"

The carpet then vibrated in it's tightly-packed roll so hard that the disguised jinni almost toppled backwards off the shelf from the force.

"WHOA! Calm down, I'd really rather not be a smudge on the dirt right now!"

His somewhat frenzied pleas were noticed, and immediately the magic carpet calmed. Genie checked on the merchant, who was in the middle of trying to convince a passing bystander that his sweetheart needed a pretty trinket that was on display.

"Alright, on three…one, two…SPAGETTI!" Genie hollered, to which Carpet almost vaulted off the shelf. "'Kidding, kidding…okay, three!"

If you asked Genie what happened right after he had said three, he wouldn't have had a proper answer other than that they got out of the tent. Still, Carpet managed to trump his bond, and destroy half the shelf in the process. With bug-ified Genie clinging to his fringe, muttering something about pandas and bamboo [he had smacked his head in the resulting commotion], Carpet had made a wild dash for the tent flap, to which the merchant was too slow to stop.

Before they knew it, they were out in the cool night air. Carpet practically shivering with the excitement of being free, a feeling Genie could only partially understand, through the limited filter that his bonds had to offer. Though, personally, it hadn't been so bad. Maybe this master could go without some domination/power/wealth. Perhaps things would be simpler, less searing to his moral radar. He sure hoped so.

Pulling up to his normal form, Genie perched cross-legged on Carpet, gently resting a hand on the woven fabric. He might not have been the greatest at the art of conversation, but at least it was someone who would hopefully be around.

The train of thought abruptly derailed as soon as Genie spotted a familiar boy making his way toward another person at the farthest edge of the village, near the small creek that had just been rejuvenated by the recent rain. Unspoken, Carpet hovered closer. Both were obscured by shadows, but it was easy for Genie to guess who the boy was.

"Please, you know I'm leaving tomorrow, won't you at least hear me out?"

"No. I have told you again and again that I cannot love you. You don't understand anything of what I have said."

"But I love you!"

"Your love is not what I want from another. Get on with your life. I'm not worth the time you have here." There was a beat. "You mother is still ill, is she not? Spend time with her, she will need it."

And with that, the girl turned, much to the displeasure of Marid, and left the shadows that led down to the river. Passing through a beam of moonlight, her features were thrown into sharp relief. Her hair was long, flowing, and inky black, which hung in long tresses around the tall, lanky frame. Her clothes were simple, a faded blue robe that covered her fully, and the hint of sandals were on her feet. There was a certain air about her, something that conveyed to the two immortals that this was no ordinary girl. She carried herself on, away into the night, leaving the heartbroken lad behind. Something about this made sense to Genie, and he stared as his words replayed over again in his mind.

_"The only other thing I can't do is make people fall in love."_

* * *

Meanwhile, from the hill that the jinni and boy had abandoned, a tall figure watched the exchange between the boy and the girl, his eyes taking in all while his mind made the calculations and draws. His hand fingered something, a leather pouch, before he pocketed it, descending down the other side of the hill and into the darkness.

* * *

A/N: My theory about why Genie was able to be out was that he can only go a certain distance from the lamp, but he can be out of it while he has a master. He does it during the parade in the movie.

Anyway, until next time, everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: The Deal

A/N: Dang, forgot the disclaimer the last time. Well, you can honestly tell that I don't own Genie or Carpet, I'm just using them for the purpose of this story. I'm actually updating a lot faster than I thought I would. Though I'll pretty much be busy this whole weekend, so a third chapter might be a little while in coming. Sorry, guys.

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Chapter 2: The Deal

Marid sulked for a greater part of the night. Genie had already made sure Carpet was taken care of before going back into his lamp, more or less to avoid his new master. The jinni was fairly sure the boy would not have been too happy if he knew that his little falling-out had been seen, although he had the feeling this 'relationship' was no secret. Just something of a hunch.

And, given that many of his experiences as being the slave/servant of many, many a selfish, self-centered human, it would be better if Carpet was simply kept out of the picture for now. In the lamp, his mind roved over the night he and Carpet had met.

_This master had been what he would have classified as a magic-hoarder, his hovel-like home abounding with both potions, and other magic-based ingredients of a questionable nature. Most of the time he couldn't look at about half without suppressing a shudder. This was among the kind of people that could take without regret, and his first wish had been for an enchanted carpet. _

_It only took a second, considering that he was bringing something that was already alive, not a conjure that would vanish when the wish was done. The rug that lay behind as a result sat in the middle of the floor. Despite the fact that it had no facial expressions, he could get a general sense of confusion that radiated from the immortals mind. Considering it was a summoned object, pulled from somewhere in the world and brought here. Somehow, he didn't want to just conjure something. It would be just another construct that would vanish once his time with this master was up. The man practically wet himself with excitement, feeling all over the rug with a fever that made Genie wonder when the last time was that this guy left his little hidey hole. The Carpet, meanwhile, handled this all with a confused air of neutrality, right up until Genie's master tried to pick him up off the floor. That was about the moment that the rug decided it had had enough and bolted for the top shelf on a nearby bookcase, eliciting a few [MANY] angry curses from the master/wizard/crazy man. Genie cast a sympathetic glance to the slightly cowering mat, and then turned his attention to the fact that the furious sorcerer had stomped out of the room, still bellowing curses for the mice and spiders that no doubt dwelled in the walls to hear. Almost wearily, Genie turned back to see what the new arrival was doing._

_Except, he wasn't there anymore. Genie's head did a 180 as he searched for the wayward rug, only to pretty much put his head through the roof when he realized the carpet was behind him. _

_"Geez! If genies could get heart attacks-!"_

_Almost immediately the poor thing began to cower again._

_"Whoa, cool it! I'm not the creepy guy that just walked outta here. You can trust me." The jinni said, attempting to get the seemingly-schizophrenic carpet to just relax for a minute as he proffered a hand in an offering of friendship. For a long second, it looked like he was going to be left pretty much standing there until he grew cobwebs, then the carpet's 'head' looked up, and tentatively placed a tassel on the blue hand. _

A fond memory if there ever was one, but the azure jinni's thoughts were drawn by the sound of voices from outside the lamp. He had a much greater awareness of things when he had a master to serve, he found.

"Son, I have to tell you something."

"Yes, father?" Marid replied, voice only partially hiding the raw disappointment he was feeling. If the parent noticed, he chose not to comment.

"Remember the healer? The one who came to see you mother, when she first fell ill? With the crops being the way they are, we have no way to pay for his treatment."

"Not that it did anything."

"The man did his best, it is all we can ask for."

Marid subsided, though the tension was still felt, even in the confines of the lamp. Genie suddenly got the feel that he had landed right in the middle of a very tense situation. It…wasn't really a sensation that he liked. He was able to forget about it briefly when the father spoke again.

"Your mother would at least like it if you said goodbye to her son."

He was ready in the morning, bright and early. A small pack prepared, with a few things. Marid had deliberately left Genie's lamp for last. Since he was the master, he supposed Genie would have to come with him; he hadn't taken the time to ask. Still, he felt as though he should at least give the entity a heads up as to what was going on. Rubbing despondently at the cool metal, Marid was rewarded with a flow of blue smoke that gathered up into Genie, who came with an extravagant 'You called?'.

"I'll be going to work for someone, a healer." He started, glancing up at Genie to make sure he had heard and understood. He seemed to get it, so Marid moved on. "It's to pay for my mother's treatment, she's very ill right now. You can come with me, right? No rules against that, is there?"

Genie shoved down a flinch. Last night and the fact that jinnis could not grant true love had not had a nice effect on Marid's mood. This just made everything even more unbearably awkward. Still, he tried to alleviate the tension a bit.

"Nope, everything's all ship-shape and ready to go, Cap'n!" And with that, Genie disappeared into the lamp, eager to avoid contact with his altogether too unpredictable master. There was a persistent edge that dulled his façade; what would he do about Carpet?

The Healer was waiting at the door for him. His father patted him on the back, a signal to go forward.

"A bit scrawny, but he should be good for the heavier work." The man commented, eyes shrewd and cold on the boy's frame. Marid all but shrunk away from them, feeling as though he were being put under the thumb of something predatory and fierce. Albeit, when the time came, he was ready to walk out that door.

The much older man had not even looked back to see if he had followed, though he needn't have worried. Marid was right behind him, with Genie's lamp tucked away firmly in his pack.

Carpet, meanwhile, was hidden over on the hill, where Genie had told him to go when he had to go back to his master. It was not that he wasn't grateful to the entity, or anything, but this set up made him a little antsy. For one, he had come all this way to find the jinni, and now he had to be hidden. He had been nothing but hidden this whole 50-year-search! Still, Genie was Genie, so he must have had a good reason. After all, the jinni had been the only one that had ever looked out for him, ever seen him as more than a thing.

So, he would wait, until Genie came back, like he told him to. He could do this, he wasn't a fraidy-rug like Genie sometimes joked.

The sudden sound of voices caused the rug to easily break that internal vow faster than a melting ice cube in the bowels of a volcano. Flying up to the tree tops, he peered down at the invading party, wondering if they'd go away soon.

Something clicked when he saw the smaller figure in the two-person party; it was the boy that Genie had mentioned was his master. Carpet immediately felt the urge to follow; the last time Genie's master had left without him, Genie left.

_But Genie said to stay put!_

_He might not have known this was going to happen. I should follow anyway._

_But he said-!_

Carpet cut off his internal debate when he noticed the two were already part of the way down the hill. Snapping to a decision, he slipped down after them.

* * *

So, yeah, reviews would be great. It keeps my muse alive.

See you next time, guys!

Blackmoondragon out.


	3. Chapter 3: The Healer and the Apprentice

A/N: As I said before, I do not own Genie or Carpet. I'm just borrowing them for the purposes of this story.

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Chapter 3: The Healer and Apprentice

Three days since he started, and already Marid was feeling worked to the bone. He was up from sunrise to sunset, gathering herbs, running errands, organizing a library that looked as though a sandstorm had run through it, the list was endless. The lamp lay forgotten at the bottom of his pack, under his bedroll; he had made sure not to let so much as a glimmer within the sights of the Healer. It could have been the natural suspicions of the villagers rubbing off on him; all, while they needed and relied on the man, none trusted him. He had his own agendas, his own reasons, which were often shrouded in the darkest of shadows. He helped them only for the power he held over them. It was a commonly held view that once he had what he wanted, he would leave them all.

It also made it horribly ironic once the children asked why he was around, and the parents were forced to explain in their own embarrassed-yet-not way that he was a necessary evil. Still, it made Marid unbelievably tense while in the Healer's abode on the other side of the hill. He did not even so much as trust the man with the lamp, let alone the jinni it contained. Still, if this was all for his mother, he would do the work without complaint. And, it kept him from thinking about her. The River Maiden, as she was sometimes called. She had never given anyone her name, never said so much as a whit on where she had come from. Notwithstanding, he had loved her from the first moment he laid eyes on her. She, on the other hand, spurned him like the plague. His little crush had spread through the small village like wildfire, and it was not long before his parents heard of it.

They of course, disapproved of it straight away. The girl was to isolated, with no family to speak of, and too odd for their eyes. He of course, found her oddness to be an appealing trait, something that attracted and drew him to her like, well, something along those cliché romantic lines. He just didn't see what the others did.

At the moment, he was using this to ease his mind while he washed over a bunch of the Healer's empty vials. Marid's fingers ached from the constant washing, his eyes practically glazed over with the routine. He didn't even notice the tall shadow that entered the room until something rapped against his shoulder blade like a whip. Whirling around, he came face-to-face with the sallow visage of the Healer.

"It is time for you to make your deliveries. Any other work you have can wait until the evening."

So, now he was expected to trek around the village in the hottest hours of the day, delivering the Healer's remedies just so the man himself wouldn't have to, and then come back to finish the scrubbing that still would take up hours of the night? Marid could not help but let the anger show in his eyes and stance. The Healer's own cold ones bored right into the boy, and for a moment, a completely silent row took place between both master and unwilling apprentice.

"I believed you would enjoy this, considering that your mother is due to get her dosage of medicine today."

Marid kept his haughty stance for a moment longer, before turning and walking stormily out of the room, grabbing his pack on the way.

Luckily for Marid, he was shielded from the harsh sun by the clouds that were thick on the sky. He walked laboriously over the hill, and down into the main collection of farms and families. His house was the third one in, his first on the list of deliveries he had to make. Eagerly running up to the door, he pushed aside the blanket that kept out the majority of the flies, and immediately his mood drastically changed.

* * *

Genie had been relatively cool and collected when he felt the urgent rubbing on the lamp. He came out ready to whip out a joke, and then get down to business. It had been the usually way he handled his bondage.

All sense of routine and swagger abruptly deflated from the blue jinni, however, when he got an eyeful of Marid, clutching his lamp and huddled over the form of a convulsing woman, who was so alike to him it had to be his mother, at the most.

"Genie, save her, please!"

The plea roused him to action, letting him know that this was indeed his second wish. Drawing himself up over the feverish, shivering frame of the woman on the dirt floor of the hut, his magic came in to do his master's will. A brief, very unsettling moment passed during which he could find nothing in the way of a concrete illness. It was something that boggled his mind. If she was this under the weather, there had to be something that needed healing, in one way or another. He was snapped out of his logical loop when the woman convulsed, gasping for air that would not reach her lungs. Marid seemed to lose all semblance of calm and control then, grabbing onto the jinni with a grip that dug into the blue arm.

"Please! Please do not let her die!"

In that moment, during which his panic skyrocketed, Genie's magic simply broadened its search, finding something that appeared to be settling through the fallen woman's body with the characteristics of poison. In his hurry, he did not study or consider, he plainly _snapped_ at the ties, easily breaking and tearing them away. With a gasp as the much-needed air finally began to settle in her lungs, Marid's mother relaxed, sliding away from death's door.

"Did you do it?"

Genie, still partially dazed from the sheer quickness at which the events changed, could only nod.

* * *

The bounce had not left the boy's step at all. His mother was cured! Certainly, it had came at the cost of one of his wishes, but it was worth it in his eyes. After Genie had saved her, Marid's father was heard, forcing the entity back into the lamp. The look on his father's face when his mother arose from her mat and embraced him was one that he would keep in his mind forever. Now, if only he could-.

His thoughts hit a wall when he noticed the tall, willowy figure ahead, just strolling leisurely along the river bank, letting the cool mud soak between her feet. A rare grin flitted over her features as she enjoyed the moment, and the silence. The same quiet was soon shattered when Marid's mouth caught up with his brain.

"Hey!" Marid called, waving his arms and running to her retreating figure. "HEY!"

This time, she heard, looking back and noticing him. He tried not to be influenced too much by the look of annoyance that crossed her features. Still sprinting, he caught up to her and gave a goofy grin.

"You will not believe this, my mother is better!"

The irritation melted somewhat, but her firm, disapproving air remained in place.

"And you hope that this will allow us to become better aquainted, right?"

His 'yes' was out of his mouth barely before he had thought of it. Her look dropped into something of even further disgust, as though she were dealing with something unclean.

"Then you are sorely mistaken. I meant what I said, and I have no intention of taking it back now." And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving him alone on the river bank.

* * *

Harsh, maybe, but she has her reasons as to why she's doing this. Yeah, snipped, short, perhaps, but I felt it would be better to just get it up now instead of waiting until later. And Genie, well, I could kind of imagine him a little freaked by that. Kids aren't the sort you want to disappoint [more for guilt than anything XP]. Reviews are greatly appreciated, as always.

See you guys soon!


	4. Chapter 4: Falling Out

A/N: I do not own Genie or Carpet. Anyone that still believes otherwise needs their head checked.

So, after the fail the last two chapters were, I decided to treat you guys to something a bit longer. Sorry about my too-short additions to this story.

* * *

Chapter 4: Falling Out

The second Genie came out of the lamp once Marid made it to the hill, he could tell something was up. Marid looked as though he was on the receiving end of a slew of bad luck, which kind of confused the jinni. Last he had been out, the kid had been beside himself with happiness. What had happened?

"Uh, kid?"

"What?" The boy snapped, forcing a flinch out of the azure entity. Something had happened alright. Now it was his job to either tread lightly or get right to the point. It was something he decided to take the middle road for.

"Did the date of the apocalypse get announced, or something?" Genie wondered aloud, but what he hoped would not get him a need for a time-out in the lamp. Unfortunately, Marid heard.

"No, the world is not ending, but you seem to be loosing your touch."

"Come again?"

"Personal wish fulfillment does not mean that there are limits! Especially if that is a part of your wish!" Marid raged, shouting at the azure jinni with all the force he could muster, not caring if anyone had heard, not caring that Genie was starting to resemble a kicked puppy both figuratively and literally, all he knew was that he had just been denied something, denied because the one thing that was supposed to make everything better for him, as it had in the stories, could not grant one measly wish for love. With a rage that seized his hands, he picked up the battered golden lamp, and threw it down the hill, watching with a grim satisfaction as it landed square in the middle of the river. A cursory glance was enough to confirm that, as the lamp had fallen, Genie had gone with it. Still storming with passionate anger, Marid turned, and walked back toward the Healer's house.

* * *

Carpet had stayed behind a woodpile outside of the Healer's house when he followed Genie's master down the hill. Given that he had been in the company of many such as the man that the master had been with, it didn't take him much to decide that inside was not a good place to be. Still, Genie's magic-made storm, coupled with the fact that the wood was rotting a bit in the heat, made it a bit harder for the rug to remain incognito without something getting on him, whether it be mud, or something else of the sludgy variety. Slinking away from the woodpile, Carpet immediately came to a drop that curled over a cliff side, where the river cut through the next two hills. Awed for a moment, Carpet noticed the large section of darkness that lay under the top of the cliff. Curiosity overcame caution, and the brightly colored rug swooped under the crown of the cliff, only to come face-to-face [or the closest thing he had to a face] with a large cave that opened to a section under the hill, inaccessible from the top of the hill, or the fast-flowing river below. It seemed like a great place to hide out while Genie finished up with this master. However, when Carpet settled down just inside the opening, he completely missed the faint outline of tables, chairs, and vials of something unknown in the far back reaches of the cave.

* * *

Genie never felt seasick, so he knew the silicon slab of something awful that resided in his stomach was not from anything physically wrong. Of course, it could have had much to do with the fact that he had just been forced to endure a shouting match from a kid over something he could not have controlled to save his immortal life. It wasn't like he could exactly fault himself, but he still felt terrible, and a little more than afraid over what the kid was going to grow up to be. All in all, he preferred having those rules around, because he could imagine the morality issues that would come into play without them. He didn't want to kill; bringing people back from the dead usually had some pretty nasty side effects, and making people fall in love…

He didn't really feel the need to expand on that. Manipulating a person's feelings, usually to disastrous ends, was something that definitely left a sizeable pang on what was left of his conscience. It wasn't as though the person wanted to be forced into whatever romance the wisher had planned. It was the kind of thing that felt wrong on so many levels. Still, after seeing the way that Marid had been blown off by his dream girl, he wondered what exactly she had against the kid. It wasn't like he did anything to deserve this and what was obviously a second time. But, thinking back to the one and only time he had seen her, Genie could not help but wonder just who this girl was. She didn't seem like an ordinary human, there was something in her demeanor that suggested so much more.

Before Genie could get anywhere else, his lamp rocked dangerously in the river. Maybe he was going through some rapids? The jinni was more than stunned when suddenly the small golden prison reversed course, a rogue current carrying it upstream. What was going on out there? As he was reeling slightly in his itty-bitty living space, a feminine voice suddenly spoke from the river outside the lamp, echoing and flowing, like the water outside. There was also an underlying current of wisdom, perhaps mixed with jadedness, which ran strong.

_"Hello, wish-granter."_

"Wh-Who's out there? You know I can't come to the door right now!"

_"I surmised as much. It is truly a sad thing that has befallen your kind."_

That took him like a punch in the gut. Talk about wishes, and he could show all the optimism of a guy that just won the lottery. Mention the fact that he was bound to this small, golden lamp until doomsday and he came up a tad bit short.

"Ah, well, you can't have everything, can you?"

_"No, it doesn't appear that way. What brings you to my river?"_

"Just sight-seeing mostly, and granting wishes, but that's more of a full-time job."

_"Really? And who would be the mortal?"_

"A just a kid from the village. His name's Marid."Genie threw out carelessly, but not without the want to get off the topic as quickly as possible. If he started speaking about the boy, it would draw him back to the fact that his master had just violently rejected him.

There was a tense pause from outside the lamp, but the speaker's tone did not change when they conversed again.

_"So, then you are the one to thank for that rainstorm. It did seem odd."_

"What? Did I not reach my quota?"

_"Oh, no, you did nicely. It's only the fact that another magical entity can usually detect another's work or their presence if they are in disguise."_

That was an interesting tidbit. Genie mulled it over before storing it away to think about later [given in between masters, he usually had a fair amount of time on his hands]. His curiosity still craved an answer though.

"If you don't mind me asking, who or what exactly are you?"

_"Just a river spirit directing you to shore."_

So that was why his lamp was drifting against the current.

"You really don't have to do that. I'll just drift until…well, until someone else picks me up."

_"My river runs as far as the ocean to the west. Along the way, there are hardly any more villages. I provide water, but the land is still very dry, and unsuitable for farming, which most mortals rely on. If I let you go, you would most likely end up at the bottom of the sea."_ The current faltered a moment_. "Still want me to let you go?"_

Darned if the mysterious speaker did not sound almost _amused _by that series of facts.

"Guess I'm along for the ride." The jinni muttered. Almost on cue, his lamp began to scrape what felt like the river bank.

_"Time to disembark. It was a pleasure speaking to you, even if we never were formerly introduced."_

"You know, we can make up for that. You can just call me Genie."

_"Hnn, creative. I am Ribadore."_ Her voice began to fade, a sure sign he was leaving the river's waters. _"Goodbye."_

The sensation of floating died away entirely, and the firmness holding up his lamp was a sure sign that he was no longer in the stream. Even though he knew she probably wouldn't hear it, he still found the words floating out of his mouth.

"See you around."

Preparing himself for a long sojourn in the lamp, Genie was startled when he felt the sudden feeling of his prison being lifted.

* * *

Heh, if you don't like the fact I rounded this off with a cliffhanger, I suggest reviewing. It'll inspire me to write faster. ^^

[This is a totally innocent grin, by the way.]

Au revoir, dear readers!


	5. Chapter 5: Playing Puppet

A/N: Yeah, sorry about the delay folks. Summer caught up with me. As usual, I don't own Aladdin. I just own everyone that was not mentioned in the movie.

"…_You're one microscopic pawn in his catastrophic plan, designed and directed by his red right hand…."~ Red Right Hand, Pete Yorn. _I was listening to it and figured that line just had to go here. It certainly sums up the chapter. Anyway, read and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 5: Puppet Playing

Marid moodily scrubbed at the mountain of clutter that still hung like a dark cloud. His hands moved rhythmically, orderly, but his mind was a whirl of angry thoughts that spun in the same manner of a tornado. She had turned him down, again, and the thing that was supposed to make everything better had rules against such things. A jinni could not even grant his wish! The world seemed to be spitting in his face.

So imbedded in his thoughts, Marid hardly noticed as another shadow stole over, behind him and in his mind.

* * *

Genie was sure that this was either really good or really bad. His lamp hadn't been rubbed yet, but as far as he could tell, he hadn't been so much as put down. Did this person (if it was even a person] know what was inside the little golden object? The part of him that relied on humor knew this was going to kill the element of surprise that he usually used when it came to his gags. The other, more jaded side could not shake the feeling that something was going to go horribly wrong before the night was out. He hated to be pessimistic, but after the battering to his optimism it seemed like a pretty good course of action.

Just when he was starting to wonder if this possible master might have been an animal of some kind that just happened to pick up his lamp, he felt the very familiar call of someone rubbing on the golden metal. Coming out with his usual flair of blue smoke, Genie prepared to settle back into the usual happy-go-lucky genie of the lamp mindset, and was slightly put off by the tall, sinister looking man that greeted him. It was the kind of master that he'd rather get away from as fast as possible, for the sake of all those around him.

"Genie of the Lamp. Unlimited wish fulfillment sans killing, bringing people back from the dead, and making people fall in love. What can I do you for?" The blue jinni got out in one breath, plastering a grin to his face that didn't at all match the way he felt on the inside. His internal 'I'm going to feel very bad about this later' alarm was only kicked into high gear by the sickly, spiteful sneer that began to cover his new master's face.

"Yes, I believe there is something you can do for me…" Turning, the man walked out the door, carrying Genie's lamp with him, giving the entity no choice but to follow. By the time the man stopped, he was right back on the banks of the river at which he had first found his lamp. There was a brief calming moment during which the only sound was the rushing of the rapids and the wind through the distant recovering palm trees. It reminded the jinni of the river spirit that had helped him get to shore. The memory also made him slightly uneasy over the fact that he had exactly no idea why they were here, or what this man was planning to do. Once the man seemed assured of the fact that Genie was behind him, he gestured vaguely to the flowing waters.

"I wish for you to dam this river, starting at the source."

* * *

The waters were always constant, always flowing, and always cool. It was the only thing that mattered to her. The life of the inhabitants that lived off it was secondary. Their lives were their own, and it was not the immortal's duty to babysit. Provide if necessary, but not babysit. Besides, it was a rare few that could actually take their teaching and do something competent with it. Most would get a swollen head from the sheer pride.

If there was one thing she could agree on, it was that man had grown greedy and blind to the world around him. It was not a good combination when it came to the fact that there were others in this universe that lived much longer than man, and would not take kindly to things such as effluence and the need to 'tame' the world around them. Still, while there were people that just faded down into the anomaly for the spirit, some seemed to make time to stick out like a sore thumb. Such as that boy. Others might not see it, but she could tell very well the difference between the kind of love that saw a person through and still cared, and the kind that was only to the skin and appearance. Although, there were other reasons to her brusqueness, the difference in life spans for one. And there was also that dark miasma that permeated the village like a predator that waited endlessly for its prey. The smell of this…thing, if it was even a man, had been on the boy as well. It circulated his house after he had visited to care for his ailing mother. If anything, her illness seemed to grow worse with every appointment. Still, it was none of her business, all the more of a reason why she was considering the option of simply not leaving the river at all anymore. Her long, serpentine body, invisible to the mortal eye, flicked through the rapids of her river as she turned to go back upstream.

Suddenly, the waters began to fade, their vivacity and life draining away by the second. The immortal twisted in panic as she tried to understand what was happening without revealing herself, but her efforts were proved futile. Before she could react, the water level had lowered to the point where the only use the river had now was a series of puddles that led down the riverbank. And her form, now totally visible, writhed lightly in the remaining pools of water, struggling to regain her power that faded with the absence of the water. Gazing up at the rise of land that was once part of the river bank, her eyes easily landed on the man that was the cause of the stench that evaded the village over these past few years. And above him, floating with a sky blue wisp as it's legs, was the jinni that she had just drifted to shore, looking down at her with a mixture of surprise, and something else she had no time to identify before the man turned, addressing the azure entity with a careless gesture.

"And now, genie, I wish for you to send me and this river dragon to the cave I have prepared. It is a little ways further down the river."

* * *

So, yeah, short. Sorry about that. I promise more in the next chapter! See you guys later!


	6. Chapter 6: Chained Immortal

A/N: Once again, I apologize at how short these things are. I try, but then summer comes knocking, and well...

So, same deal. Read, enjoy, and review!

* * *

Chapter 6: Chained Immortal

The night had only gone downhill from there. From the moment that Genie had whisked them all off the cave that his new master had mentioned, he had tried to stay well out of the way when it came to whatever the man had planned, but it wasn't as though he could totally block everything out. His master immediately turned out to be the kind of person that took whatever he could get out of a thing and not care how much he affected it, or how much it was hurt in return. He also liked to exploit magical beings, as the jinni soon discovered when the various tools came out. By the time the night was over, the river dragon certainly looked worse for wear, missing random scales from her forearms, and part of one of the horns on the crown of her head. As for fighting back, Mr. Oily-man-with-all-the-kindness-of-a-barracuda had already taken steps to prevent that, with chains, iron, and nails the size of swords. The river dragon could prevent nothing, could do nothing, as he pricked scales away and took blood. Without her river, she had no power. It was slightly startling how much that reminded Genie of his own situation.

Still, he hadn't really had the backbone to actually go and comfort, or in any way interact, with the river spirit. Despite the fact that it was the master's wish, he ultimately concluded that she would blame him. In all honesty, it was a fine way to thank her for getting her out of the river to begin with. At this point he was considering if it would have really been that bad to be sitting on the bottom of the sea. Still, even he wasn't prepared for the surprise that happened somewhere around midday. He had been holed up in his self-claimed section of the cave for the whole night and morning, when there was a sudden silence in the …proceedings. Despite the fact that everything in him wanted not to look, he couldn't help but at least glance in the direction of his master, the chained river spirit, and the various tools and implements that the man had gathered for the process. In all sincerity, as he would have sworn up and down later, he had not seen this coming.

"…Marid?"

The boy might have appeared to be as clear as a bell to Genie, but in truth, the Healer had delved into his mind, augmenting the deepest, darkest desire the boy had to offer. It also put him totally under the elder man's thrall, as he was the spellcaster. Along with his healing, the slippery character had also picked up a few tricks from conjurers and spellbooks that he had managed to find in the occasional windfall of traders. There were always at least one or two that had what he wanted, if you knew how to ask.

As for actually enacting the spell, it was child's play to set a snare in the boy's thoughts, to find a target for his enchantment to fall on. The girl, or rather, the spirit. The boy had seen her, had even gone so far as to form feelings for her, and she had turned him down in an obvious attempt to avoid the eyes of the Healer. Instead, she had turned Marid into an enemy, something that was not wise to do considering his closeness to the very man she had been trying to avoid. And now, the river spirit was going to pay for her mistake.

"Boy." The Healer said in a commanding tone. "This creature is responsible for your love's rejection. You know what you must do."

The boy's hands, whose control was not entirely his own, gripped a small pick from one of the tables.

The river drake began to writhe anew in her bonds, forcing Genie to look away again. But still, the azure jinni's conscience [or the shambles it was left in] would not let him rest until he at least attempted to make an apology.

_'I'm sorry.' _He mouthed in the sapphire river spirit's direction, hardly bothering to see if the other immortal had noticed, or cared. He wouldn't have been surprised if she didn't. Albeit, Genie did not notice the unreadable look the river spirit passed his way before turning her attention back to the boy and the tool in his hand.

* * *

Yeah, Genie does have a tendency to take responsibility and/or assume the worst. It comes out in the TV show a bit. I guess that's what comes from serving very very nasty masters for the past however-many-years.


	7. Chapter 7: The Lone Rugman

A/N: Nope, still don't own Genie or Carpet.

Sorry about the long wait, guys! First we had company, then school started, now suddenly I'm drowning in work. Long story short, this probably won't be the best year of school for me.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Chapter 7: The Lone Rugman

Carpet was sort of in a sleeplike state when he first heard the muffled roaring from the back of the cave. For a few seconds, the rug was torn between fear and curiosity, half hanging out of the cave as he tried to decide whether or not to bolt. The roar sounded again, but this time Carpet could get something telling out of it. For one thing, whatever was making it was not going anywhere, given that it hadn't moved from the back of the cave, also, it was…in pain.

In the second his mind processed that, Carpet's inquisitiveness got the better of him. Clinging closely to the shadows, the intrepid rug slipped past spired rock and, after coming out from behind a bend in the cave, came upon the scene of a lifetime, and not in the good way. Chained to the floor was a silver, blue, and violet creature, a dragon, Genie's master, the man his master had been with when he had last seen them, and a flicker of familiar blue off to the side betrayed the presence of the jinni himself, who looked very subdued at the moment. At least until he noticed Carpet near the water entrance of the cave.

The mood change could practically be tracked through sight [not that Carpet really understood why his friend was behaving like this], disbelief, shock, fear as the jinni looked from the older man to Carpet and back, and then they both saw Genie's master bend with something in his hand. The dragon let out a low growl that sounded more like a groan, during which Genie chose to zip over to the stunned rug and float in front of him, blocking him from view.

"Listen, Rugman, I really really don't have time to explain right now, but you've gotta get out of here. This guy's on a power trip and getting more out of control by the minute! C'mon, go! I'll be fine."

The continued yowling from the river spirit chained to the floor seemed to contradict that. Carpet fluttered in midair, trying to see what was going on. Genie resolutely blocked him at every turn, taking on an outfit resembling that of a theater usher.

"Nope! This movie is rated MSMC. Material not Suited for Magic Carpets. Now move along! C'mon!"

The problem with focusing his full attention on Carpet, however, was that it left him totally blind to the fact that the Healer had noticed his efforts.

"Genie, what are you babbling about?"

Swallowing down a mild panic attack [and not doing very well], the azure entity flipped back around the other way, still blocking the stationary Magic Carpet from view. Genie wasn't sure what the man would do to the rug, but he had no desire to find out. And, worse still, Carpet hadn't moved. If anything, he pressed in further to Genie, as though convinced that somehow that would protect him.

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Just…chasing out a bird!" Genie ad-libbed, donning a farmer outfit and waving a pitchfork in the direction of the cave entrance. "Yeah, those pesky critters just get into everything! Everything, I tell you! Worst pests since cockroaches!"

Given that Carpet was plastered so close to him that he was near invisible unless Genie turned completely around, the Healer might have been fooled. Until he noticed a distinct gold tassel sticking out from behind Genie. With a quick motion that the jinni was too slow to stop, the man's hand shot out, gripping the tassel and pulling it, and the rug it was attached to, out into the open. Carpet twisted and flailed, easily recognizing the ways of a magic monger, and reacting accordingly. Genie internally cringed, but was altogether powerless to do anything. He couldn't interfere with his current master, at least not directly. At this point, grabbing Carpet away would have been pretty direct.

He, however, could defend the rug on a verbal standpoint.

"Ah, that! Quite a find, really, but not worth a penny! Totally worthless, really! No point in keeping it!"

"On the contrary, I believe this is quite valuable. There aren't many…magic carpets in the world nowadays, yes? Perhaps when this project is finished," He thought aloud, gazing at the captive river spirit with something close to hunger. Carpet twisted in a frantic bid for freedom, but fruitlessly so. In response, the Healer pinned the flailing rectangle of fabric under a table leg. A particularly vehement roar from the dragon snapped all of their attention back to the drama going on a few feet away on the rock floor. The muzzle on the reptile had slipped off, revealing the savagery that presented itself in rows of gleaming teeth that were bared in a knee- jerk reaction to frighten off her tormentor. But, unbeknownst to the others, Ribadore had other ideas in mind.

"**Marid**!"

Despite the fact that it had the growling undertone that identified a predator, the faint echoes of the girl he had watched, followed, and loved were there. He paused, knife still firmly in hand.

"If you really wish to know why I never accepted your advances, it was because you, as a human, only saw what you wanted to see. As I am now, you would not have looked twice at me before killing me, as your people have done to the rest of my kind. You often fear what you do not understand, and now, you are only proving my point." For just a moment, a small flicker of recognition appeared in Marid's eyes. It seemed as though her words had broken through the spell. "If I am wrong about you, and your kind, show me."

The unaffected eyes stayed full with clarity for a few seconds longer, before something inside them seemed to smolder and darken. Before any could bat an eyelash, the spell had reconsolidated it's hold on Marid's mind, more powerful than it had minutes ago.

"You aren't her. Don't pretend to be. You are a monster. DON'T **IMITATE** HER!" Marid was nearly bellowing by that time, and the small knife came down again.

* * *

Yeah, it wasn't my intention to put Ribadore in a bad light when I first wrote this. Though, you have to think about it from her standpoint a little. Humans, to her, are a somewhat selfish group of creatures that have destroyed a part of the world around her river, and others of her kind, because of fear. It's sort of like what Goliath told Demona in Gargoyles.

"It is the nature of humankind to fear what they do not understand."

Also, take a look at the episode 'Garden of Evil'. The whole mess was caused by one big misunderstanding. It happens even more so than we think.


	8. Chapter 8: Raging Cage

A/N: So, yeah, don't own Genie or Carpet.

The length on this one was intended to make up for all those short chapters earlier. Besides, it took me a while to update, given that school hasn't given me much of a break since I got back. There's going to be some death in this chapter, though no one I think people will miss. Still, upped the rating a bit because of that. Enjoy, all.

* * *

Chapter 8: Raging Cage

Carpet cowered throughout the whole time the boy had bent over the dragon, evoking the roar-screeches of protest that could split one's eardrums in two [if he had them]. It reminded him of the man that he had been wished for by. The beady-eyed, magic hoarder that squandered his wishes on powerful supernatural concoctions and items, including him. However, when it came down to it, he wound up throwing Genie's lamp into a fire, because he no longer could give him any wishes. Given that the jinni couldn't do a thing about it, he had all but had a very audible panic attack [and turned the palest shade of blue that Carpet had ever seen]. When that happened, Carpet did two things he ordinarily would not have had the guts to do. One, he dove directly at the fire and scooped out Genie's lamp before it could melt [thankfully with only minor singes to show for it], and two, he flew directly out the window with the jinni-prison, never to see the man again.

However, things were noticeably different. While it was hard for him to stand idly by and watch, he hardly had a choice in the matter, seeing as he was pinned to the floor. It also wasn't hard to notice the fact that Ribadore's muzzle was still free, given that she hadn't moved to attack the boy. It suddenly hit the rug; the Healer was using Marid as a human shield from the dragon's wrath. No matter where the boy was, the Healer was behind him.

Suddenly, Carpet's world was thrown off-kilter when the river dragon's tail lashed furtively, and caught the table in mid-swing. The Healer, taken by surprise, dashed over to secure his find, this time with a flashing knife that had fallen from the table. Easily slipping into panic mode, Carpet reeled off to the flailing reptile, and knocked into the chains holding it's left forearm to the ground. Responding to the slack, her arm rose up, fully disconnecting the chains from their secure positions. Marid reeled back from the display [apparently the spell had not completely gotten rid of his self preservation], and the Healer's face immediately went from vengeful and angry [as he had finally managed to stick the rug when he jetted back from the stirring reptile] to shock and fright. Fumbling with Genie's lamp and holding it in front of him like a shield, his mouth formed the familiar phrase just before the dragon bore down on him like a five-star hurricane.

Genie, on the other hand, watched the scene with a mix of surprise, at the rapid shift of events, and rapidly growing terror, given that his lamp had just been placed directly in the path of the very angry dragon and her tormentor.

However, the Healer's half-uttered wish was cut off with a sick groan, as three steely ebony claws sank

The lamp, Genie's lamp, had been entirely missed in the onslaught. Each talon had purposefully given the thing a wide berth. Pulling her implements out, the dragon watched expressionless as the man's body fell, the lamp falling from his nerveless hands. For a long, long moment, all in the room were silent. Then, almost as though she remembered something, Ribadore turned to the still-stuck Carpet and deftly plucked the knife out.

Also remembering the fact that someone was here that should not have been, Genie turned to Marid, whose harsh aura was squashed as soon as the Healer died. Aside from the fact that his chest was rapidly rising and falling, one might have believed he was a statue. His eyes were suddenly drawn to the bright shade of blue that stood out against all the gray stone surrounding them. The boy's eyes were disbelieving, then grew hostile to mask the hurt.

"You did this. You-." The rest of the tirade remained to die in his throat, but Marid was not done speaking. "I-I wish for you to leave. Go away."

Cold, hard, and unforgiving as the words were, Genie did have the full intention of obeying them. After all, Marid was his master, like it or not.

Suddenly, the dragon descended on the boy, staring deep into his eyes, her own giving off an hypnotic luster. Almost immediately, the much smaller human slumped, falling into a deep sleep. Ribadore reached out, catching him with a partially skinned forearm before he could hit the ground. Genie hovered nearby, unsure of what to do or how to respond. Somewhere inside, he had to agree that Marid was right. If he had never come into the picture, none of this would have happened. The river would still be there, Marid would never have been taken in by the Healer, and Ribadore would not have had to go through…that.

Carpet hovered uncertainly behind him, flopping a bit in midair from the tear that adorned the side. It wasn't bad, but it was enough to make him feel lopsided. Almost absently, he braced himself against the blue djinn, but it didn't stop both from jumping when the river dragon unexpectedly spoke.

"I did this."

That…was not what Genie had expected at all. He had expected everything from rage to resentment. She had helped him, and this was the thanks she got [he was already very familiar with the human's idea of overlooking the jinni's ambivalence in the matter]? Despite the fact he felt it would be better if he simply zipped his mouth [literally] and stayed quiet, he couldn't help but find himself talking.

"I don't buy that. Heck, I blame myself more than you."

With alarming quickness, Ribadore turned and fixed Genie with a steely gaze.

"Enough. I don't have his view on the matter. If I had not left the river, even in human form, none of this would have happened. Marid would not have been tempted by my image, and you would not have been used."

He couldn't help but put up his hands in self defense. Her rebuke carried more of a scold than an insult, but the coldness in it was enough to make him wonder if speaking up had been a mistake.

He could leave, right now. Marid had wished for him to go away. And judging by the scene he was viewing, it would probably be a better thing for all of them. Passing a quick look to Carpet [wincing slightly when he saw the tear], he raised his hands, preparing to magic them both out.

"Wait."

Man, today was just full of surprises, wasn't it? The azure being turned back around, and was slightly perplexed by the sight that met him. The dragon carefully held the small golden lamp in one sinewy, blue-scaled paw.

"I might not be able to be fully pardoned, but I can at least fix some of this." She observed the scuffed lamp thoughtfully.

The villagers had been both terrified and awed by the sheer size of the stone dam that had been set across the spring from which the river flowed. The wall was part of the cliff around it and, at the same time, not, making removal of the thing crawl like a snail. Many were worried. They relied on the water from the river to irrigate their crops, as well as bathing and drinking. Without it, their little village would cease to exist.

Suddenly, a thunderclap sounded overhead, forcing all heads to the sky. A peculiar group of dark clouds hung in the air, drawing puzzlement out of the previous hopelessness. With what seemed to be a lightning strike, a bolt of electricity shot down at the dam, disintegrating it upon contact, and releasing the water that it inhibited.

A little while later, Marid mysteriously turned up at his family's house, claiming that the Healer had vanished in the night and could not be found. He had hardly and memory of what happened the night before, but after a thorough search of the Healer's house and property, the boy's story was proven true.

All through the excitement, no one noticed the small party of magical entities present on the river bank, partially obscured by a cloak of mist. The river dragon, the jinni, and the magic carpet all stood together, watching as the events unfolded.

"And life goes on." Ribadore spoke sagely into the silence, before turning to both Genie and the still tipsy Carpet. "My second wish is for his recovery. It would truly be a shame to confine such an entity to the ground."

It didn't take much, just a small burst of magic [and with a few clicks of a pair of sewing needles], and Carpet was zipping in the general airspace above them both, as happy as could be. Genie watched the rug with his usual bravado.

"Folks, the rug is in the house!"

However, the excitement was short-lived when Genie caught sight of a very familiar boy walking among the houses in the nearby village, doing what appeared to be chores of some kind.

_"I-I wish for you to leave. Go away."_

As Ribadore had pointed out, Marid's wish had never specified exactly when he was to go, but the jinni felt as though it wouldn't be a good idea to stay much longer. And besides, despite the fact the human had no memory of the wish, it was still valid [chances being that someone would sic the union on him, and above all, Genie did **not** want to deal with that]. Catching the look on the blue entity's face, Ribadore spoke up.

"Any idea where you will go?"

"Don't know. I hear Albuquerque is nice this time of year."

Carpet seemed to notice the somber mood, floating down to hover next to his azure friend. Ribadore thought hard for a moment.

"Have either of you heard of the Cave of Wonders?"

"Yeah. Big place out in the desert, only the pure of heart can enter. Guarded by a spirit of the desert. What about it?"

"Why not go there?"

For a few seconds, Genie floated there like a nitwit, staring at the dragon as though she had just recommended that he jump in a pond of hungry piranhas. Then his brain caught up with the fact that no, it was not a joke, and yes, she was waiting expectantly for him to answer.

"I don't…I mean…"

Rather than be disheartened by his response, Ribadore seemed to grow even bolder.

"Think about it. Only the pure-hearted may enter, and remove certain objects within. You might actually get an honest master, for once."

An honest master? Something about that rang a longing note for him after this mess. Still…the thought of going on as someone's servant, as a slave. It definitely knocked his mood down a few notches. Before he could stop himself, Genie blurted out something that had been plaguing him for quite awhile.

"You think any master coming through there could ever be pure-hearted enough to…well…free a jinni?"

A long silence went through the group, during which Carpet reassuringly patted Genie's shoulder with a tassel. Just when he thought the dragon had either not heard him or wasn't going to answer, she replied, the wear from the previous day and a half creeping into her voice.

"You will get that which you desire, Genie." Then a flicker of humor passed over the tired, scaly face. "You've earned it, that is certain."

"So, we believe in karma now?"

"Karma? No, just a good feeling." Then the wit passed, and the azure reptilian face turned serious. "If that is what you want, it will be my final wish."

Once again, Genie was verbally stunned. No one had let him make the choice, not before.

* * *

Interesting thing about Genie's character, to the point where it comes up in the TV series, is that he has a hard time with going against the popular demand of the group, or the person that. Handling the complex planning is probably something his other masters always did. Chances are he was more shunted around than in control of the situation.

In any case, this is almost done, just one more chapter to round it off.


	9. Epilogue: Aladdin

A/N: Disclaimer here. I OWN NOTHING.

Alright, this is me trying to keep this short and ultimately failing. There was too much to put here!

So, yeah, wordy epilogue, and the end of this story. Please enjoy, and review!

* * *

Epilogue: Aladdin

Carpet drifted around the piles of treasure for the umpteenth time in…well, he couldn't even remember how long. He considered going to ask Genie [they could sort of talk through the confines of the lamp]. Then he thought better. Something told him he didn't really want to know. Even for an immortal, the wait for at least one certified 'Diamond in the Rough' was starting to become excruciating. There had been a few tremors coming from the front of the Cave, but other than that, nothing to really get excited over. Flattening himself on the ground, he lay down next to one of the piles of treasure. Given that he was already somewhat used to rumbling interruptions, Carpet didn't think too much of it when the faint roars of the desert spirit echoed down the Cave. However, he did notice something was up when the quiet footsteps began to make it's way over through the mountains of treasure. And over him.

"ABU! Don't. Touch. Anything. We have to find that lamp."

_They were looking for Genie?_

Perhaps because he subconsciously figured that it would not be a good idea for these people to suddenly have their footing slipped out from under them, Carpet remained still. Once they had both moved further down the chamber, Carpet got up to 'look' at them a little better. Disappearing down the row was a young man, clad in simple, worn clothes, and following close behind him, was a small monkey. Surely it couldn't hurt if he got a closer look, could it?

Easily lifting off the ground, he slipped up close behind the monkey, watching carefully as the little primate seemed to sense that all was not well. By the time it had turned, he was flat on the floor again.

_This is…fun._

Lifting up again, Carpet followed the monkey for a few more steps before it flipped around again. By which he was rolled up next to a nearby pile of treasure. This time, however, the chimp seemed a tad bit uneasy, and quickly hurried to catch up to the human, who by now was pretty far ahead.

"Abu, will you knock it off?" Was his response to the urgent chattering. Carpet watched as the monkey's expressions turned from fear, to huffiness as he realized that he had been ignored.

Later on, Carpet would have been slightly embarrassed by what happened next, although, in his defense, when one was cooped up in a cave for 10,000 years with barely any interaction from anything else [save a jinni trapped in a lamp and a desert spirit that had barely any interest in him], they would be slightly mischievous as well.

Unrolling himself, Carpet deftly tip-tasseled over to the pair, jumping into the air just as Abu turned around, courtesy of a small tug to his tail. Given that he was directly over the primate's head, the creature was utterly baffled when he felt a tap on his other side. If he had been human, Carpet would have laughed as he saw the monkey take up a bizarre fighting stance. Carefully reaching down, he plucked the fez directly off Abu's head.

By that time, it was obvious that the teasing was starting to get to the chimp, and he hunkered down, arms crossed, clearly frustrated. Carpet, enjoying his little game, tried the tactic again. Albeit, he wasn't quite counting on Abu to all but have a heart attack when he did lay eyes on the decorated, bipedal rug extending a tassel. When the monkey let out an ear-piercing shriek, the rug too panicked, suddenly realizing exactly what sort of mess he had just gotten himself into. Partially tripping the small mammal in the progress, he dove behind a nearby treasure pile, peeking his 'head' out at the impromptu demonstration of physics as Abu flew headlong into the young human's back. And, while the monkey did not weigh a thing if you were simply picking him up, a highly concentrated amount of force to one spot had the tendency to flatten anyone. Being, it was hardly a surprise when they tumbled a few times before the man came to rest on his stomach, with the chimp jumping frantically on top of him, forcing him to look in Carpet's direction.

_Uh, oh…I think I'm in trouble…_

For what seemed like a very long moment, all were silent. Then the human spoke up, a note of awe in his voice.

"A magic carpet."

That was a good thing, or so he hoped. Still, he ducked mostly out of sight again as he raised his hand to gesture.

"C'mon, c'mon out. I'm not gonna hurt you."

It was a good thing to hear, yet a little unnerving. How did the human know? Edging out, Carpet pointed to himself in a 'who, me?' gesture, and, noticing that he had dropped the monkey's fez in the chaos, picked it up. After dusting it off, he flew over, kneeling down to hand it back. Abu, instead of taking it, screeched angrily at the rug before clambering up onto the human's shoulder.

"Calm down, Abu, he's not gonna bite. Thanks." The last was directed at Carpet, as he removed the fez and handed it back to the suspicious little monkey. With his beloved fez safely back on his head, Abu proceeded to chew Carpet out, for his trick, going on to stealing his fez, and a few other things that got lost in the babble. The rug recoiled as if it had been a slap to the face, if he had one. Guess…he'd just wait to follow them out when they found Genie. He wasn't wanted here.

"Hey, wait a minute, don't go!"

Carpet turned back towards the two. The human spoke again.

"Maybe you can help us."

Perhaps it was the fact that they, or at least the human, were not actively trying to drive him off, or the very idea that he could be useful, for the first time in a long time, but either way, the excited rug sprung into the air at the sound of those words. Swirling around the man's frame, he came to a halt in front of them both.

"See, we're trying to find this lamp…"

That was the problem? He could definitely help them with that, he knew very well were Genie was in the Cave. Gesturing for them to follow, Carpet zoomed off toward the other door that lead out of the room.

"I think he knows where it is." The human told the monkey as he followed close behind.

_Of course I do! Hurry up!_

Deeper within the cave, Carpet lead the two mortals out the large, cavernous chamber, pointing up at the distant high-rise in the rock, a spire that a single ray of light fell on. Even from here, he could see the faint glimmer of gold. The human wasted no time, clambering down to the set of stones that went over the pool of water to the rock.

"Wait here." He whispered to the monkey, before dropping down on the first stone, and carefully leaping to the next. An absent thought that flickered though Carpet's mind was that it would have been a really bad time to find out if the pool had a monster or two guarding Genie's lamp. Granted, he had never been attacked by anything, but then again, he wasn't 'the diamond in the rough'. Another wayward thought the rug had was, if all went well, how great it would be to get out, into the air, again. His mind rolled over the last few moments he had spent outside of the Cave.

"_Look, Rugman, I won't get mad at all if you want to stay out here. I mean, you're a magic carpet. Spending what could be a few millennia down in a dark cave doesn't quite strike me as something you'd be into." Despite the fact that he had on his usual grin, Carpet could tell that Genie as well was not looking forward to this long sojourn in his lamp. The rug was one of the few that could sort of pick up on that. Not that he could blame him, being cooped up for one space for days, weeks, sometimes centuries on end, was not pleasant. Especially for an immortal. Which was why, in his own special way, he was insisting that he would come. _

_And Genie, being the usual self-sacrificing entity that he was, that his wishes sometimes required him to be, was trying to talk him out of it. _

"_Alright, really, you don't have to come with me. I'll be fine. You…probably have places to go, things to do. Don't let me hold you back."_

_Carpet's head shook vigorously. Genie bit back a grateful smile, clearly not about to let the fellow immortal see that he was touched by the gesture. The desert stretched out endlessly around them, as Carpet flew Genie's lamp to the Cave of Wonders. While they had easily poofed away from the village, the jinni had cut the teleportation short a few miles away for his attempted persuasion. Still, the rug would not be swayed into leaving. _

_Ergo, he was still there when the desert spirit, the whirling form of sand that resembled a tiger's head, rose out of the hillside in front of them. Trying very hard not to cower, Carpet hung on to the golden lamp. Genie, on the other hand, did a remarkable job of keeping his composure. The majority of the exchange between the two was lost in the heat of the rug's fright, but he still jumped a mile when those orb-like eyes suddenly saw him. _

"_**And what of this one?"**_

_Genie looked back, his manacles glinting in the glowing light from both the eyes and the depths of the Cave. _

_Something immediately became clear to Carpet. He and Genie, while they were both immortals, had a lot of things that were different. As one clear point was, he was free to do what he wished, go where he pleased, and be all he could be. The blue jinni had none of those luxuries, hardly anything of a free will when it came to the more careful, coldly calculating masters. He was forced to serve, no matter what the price, or the weight it left on his own conscience. _

_If he could go through all of that, and still be as optimistic as he was, Carpet could stand being shut away in the Cave for who-knows-how-long. _

_And with that, he quietly reached down and picked up the lamp, hovering a little closer to the Cave's maw, and making his decision clear. _

He wondered if Genie knew what was going on right now. Granted, his kind was nigh omniscient, but could he tell what was happening outside of his lamp? Carpet made a mental note to try to 'ask'. Suddenly, he noticed a distinct lack of fuzzy primate sitting next to him. Flipping around as he tried to seek the creature out, Carpet immediately found him, and almost as quickly nearly had a heart attack. Abu was walking slowly, almost zombie-like, over to a statue holding a giant ruby in its hands. Given the mesmerized look on his face, it was altogether too clear as to what he was about to do. And, as Carpet knew very well, the Cave had very rigid rules as to what happened to people that touched things they weren't supposed to. Zipping forward, the rug's tassels secured a firm hold on the monkey trying desperately not to let him touch the jewel.

But, if there was one thing to be said about Abu, it was his determination. After a few minutes of one-sided tug of war, Carpet lost his grip, and the primate's hands snatched the ruby from its perch.

Almost immediately, the Cave reacted.

"_**INFEDELS! YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE FORBIDDEN TREASURE! YOU SHALL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!"**_

As if the booming voice was not terrifying enough, the stature that held the ruby began to melt into sand. From the small rock outcropping, Carpet could also see the flames that sprung from Genie's pedestal. For a few seconds of panic, he thought the being had gone up in it. Then he saw the human jump away from the flames, something gold hidden in his belt. Despite the fact that he was bowled into the air by speeding Abu, Carpet was relieved, and then panicking all over again when he saw the man take a dive for the lava that the pool had become. Throwing all of his speed into his flight, he zipped up under the human, catching him before he and the lamp could hit the lava. Looping back around, he swooped down so that his passenger could grab Abu before he became monkey flambé. After which he swore he would never go near lava again if he could help it.

Still, it seemed as though the universe had abruptly decided that then was the time all the waiting and cave-dwelling would come to a stop. The lava suddenly rose up into a wave that threatened to burn them all alive, and Carpet made a quick beeline for the door. He raced through the cave halls, and out into the treasure room, silently rejoicing as the whole lot was turned to melted gold. If he ever had to lay eyes on another speck of the stuff, it would be too soon. However, what he had not counted on was the Cave's determination. Shown quite clearly when a pair of fire-hands reached up from the inferno below to try to nab them. It was like his worst nightmare come to reality. As he weaved his way to the exit of the Cave, he wished he could be like Genie at the moment, blissfully unaware that any of this was happening.

Just as it looked as though they were going to be home-free, a sudden weight slammed into Carpet's back end, sending his three passengers flying and him down to the floor below. Pinned as he was, he could only get a limited view of what was going on above. That wasn't to say he didn't notice it when the small body started to take a 10-point dive for the floor. Squirming furiously, Carpet slipped out from under the rock he had been stuck under, flying up just in time to catch both human and monkey from what would have been a messy catastrophe. Somewhere above them all, the Cave let out a final roar before its entrance collapsed into the sand.

* * *

Meanwhile, the localized apocalypse had not gone unnoticed by the occupant of the lamp that everyone was fighting over. Even from inside the prison, Genie easily heard the booming voice of the Cave, so close it might as well have been in his ear.

"_**INFEDELS! YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE FORBIDDEN TREASURE! YOU SHALL NEVER AGAIN SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY!"**_

After which it suddenly felt as though his lamp had been thrown from a very high cliff, pressing the shell-shocked jinni into the back wall as he struggled to figure out just what was going on, and why the temperature suddenly was cranked up a few hundred degrees. An abrupt change in direction both brought the heat back down, and sent him into the other side of the lamp.

Alright, Genie was a relatively easy-going person, but that did not mean that this wasn't unnerving in the least. Peeking out a bit through the spout, he immediately laid eyes on what looked like a human figure, sitting atop a very familiar rug. Another thing that came to his attention was the boiling pit of lava that they were steadily winging their way back to.

_Why are we going near the lava? WHY ARE WE GOING NEAR THE LAVA?_

His viewing session was cut short when Carpet suddenly swerved again, all but throwing him to the back of the lamp. The extreme heat came back for a few minutes before fading away. Hopefully, this did not mean that he, or anyone outside, was dead.

Judging by the extremely loud rushing and bubbling noise reverberating through the metal, they weren't anywhere near dead, at least, not yet. After a few minutes of rocking and swerving that made Genie wonder if they weren't on some kind of a messed-up roller coaster ride, he suddenly came to a very quick stop, ramming him back to the front. As he was trying to sort out which way was up and which was down, the sound outside suddenly became muffled, then loud. And then, more prying-himself-out-of-the-walls-of-the-lamp, although this time Genie had the sense that this wasn't Carpet's crazy driving. Suddenly, all the motion outside abruptly stopped, the noise dying down to a near-deafening quiet. Genie inched warily over to the spout again, faintly worrying that whatever master that had been brave/boneheaded enough to come down here died in the…whatever that was.

Peering out again, he was startled by the fact that there was nothing to see, just darkness. No kid, no lava, not even Carpet.

For what seemed like a long, long time, he was left in silence, wondering if he was truly alone this time, or if the universe was playing a very cruel trick on him.

Then, as though someone had turned the sound back on, he heard voices. Faint, muffled voices. They grew slightly louder, and then the next thing he knew, a faint rubbing went through the lamp.

And, well, he definitely was a little too enthusiastic with his entrance.

* * *

I'm...actually pretty happy with this. I was originally going to make it just Carpet, but then again, this is the master, and the way out, that they've both been waiting well over a millenia for. And I thought it would be interesting to put his POV into this.

And, now that I actually put it out, I have to look back at the whole 'Friend Like Me' sequence and think, 'Wow, someone's glad they didn't die.'.

Bookworm Gal: I'll think about it. Definitely. But it might take awhile for me to get everything down given that school's picking up. This was pretty much a combination of stubborness and very vivid inspiration.


End file.
